


Odinsdottir

by bangtangirl91



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Banishment, Exile, F/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Thor (2011), Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2020-06-27 09:58:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19788535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangtangirl91/pseuds/bangtangirl91
Summary: Odin had another daughter after Hela. Freya is a headstrong Asgardian goddess with an iron will that gets her banished from her home realm. In her exile she finds adventure, hostility, friendship, and love.





	1. CHAPTER ONE: The Peacekeeper

**Author's Note:**

> Long-time reader, first time publishing something here. This plot came to me in a dream and hasn't left me alone in weeks. I hope you find it interesting.
> 
> Freya - her face claim is Jessica Lucas  
> Queen Rinda - her face claim is Naomi Campbell

The halls of Odin were quiet as most of its occupants peacefully slept away the late hour. The Asgardians had just celebrated another grand battle victory with a moderate feast in thanks to their prince, Thor.

As the castle slept off the delicious food and pints of mead and wine they'd consumed, two residents remained occupied. One with frustration and one with exhaustion.

"Each time he does something like this he's lauded as a military genius, when all he's really done is expend unnecessary manpower 'winning' a battle that was already won."

"There's some truth in that."

"And a feast? That is a bit much considering he only won the battle, not the war."

"Uh huh."

"Not to mention all of the fawning of the court as if he's already been named successor."

"Simply tragic."

"Freya! Are you even listening?" Loki asked pivoting away from the fireplace to face his obviously distracted sister. She was sat on the black settee in his bedroom and frozen mid-plait with her hands in her hair under her little brother's accusing eyes.

"I was half-listening." She shrugged. Loki scoffed and turned his back to her once more. "Well what do you expect, brother? Your rants hardly change. Were my responses not perfectly timed and appropriate?"

"beside the point-"

"Did you deviate from the usual Thor is not fit to be king. We should stop treating him as such?" She imitated his voice. Poorly.

"That is not how I speak." He rolls his eyes to himself.

"Come here brother. Sit. Before you work yourself up into a fit." Loki turns to face her but does not move to sit; stubborn god that he is. "Fine do you want my opinion?"

"If I did I would have asked."

"I think," she went on ignoring his response, "that you are far to focused on who will succeed Father when there is no immediate need to fret over it. He may treat Thor as next in line but that is many years away."

"You're wrong. Father grows weary and tires of the Throne. He will crown Thor king sooner than you may think." Freya opened her mouth to argue, but Loki continued, "And he is not ready. Thor has no business ruling Asgard. He is too hotheaded, too foolhardy, and too impulsive to be King. The crown should be bestowed on someone with the temperment to rule. Someone like you." He said pointedly as he glided over to sit beside her.

Freya chuckled heartily as she guided his head to her lap and began to run her fingers through his silky black hair. An act that always seemed to calm him in times of distress ever since he was a small boy.

"Never I, dear brother. I abdicated the Throne long before you were born for a reason. I have no desire to rule as you well know."

"And that is the precise reason why you would make a better Queen. You don't strut around basking in your own 'mightiness'"

"Thor does not strut." Freya laughed, rolling her eyes. "Jealousy doesn't become you, Loki. If you keep up that sort of talk one might think you don't love our brother."

"Am I required to LIKE him?" Loki grumbled.

"I suppose not, though I am sure you do. I've seen it. But do be careful, love. Jealousy can lead to resentment and from where I stand you've nothing to be jealous of. You are mighty in your own right."

"Don't patronize me Freya. I'm not a child anymore."

"I am not I simply belive that I have two outstanding brothers and one just so happens to severely underestimate how much he is revered by his people." Freya said softly as her hand stilled.

"I don-" Loki's next statement was cut off by a knock on his chamber doors. Freya furrows her brows in confusion wondering who could possibly be calling on her brother in the middle of the night.

"Prince Loki?" A delicate feminine voice calls through the door. Freya's mouth dropped open incredulously. She shoved her brother in the shoulder with a barely contained smirk.

"Loki you have maidens sent to your quarters in the dead of the night? Have you no sense of propriety?" Freya stifled a laughed while standing up and smoothing out her gown.

"Oh shut up." Loki rolls his eyes. "Just a moment!" he called back to the door before telling his sister, "This has been fun but you can return to your rooms now."

"I think I'll be telling your mother about this." She chuckled on her way to the door.

"Not that I am concerned because I am fully grown, but if you dare I'll turn your wardrobe to cobwebs." He threatened.

Freya continued to laugh as she opened the door to the surprised face of a noble lady named Astrid, one of her own ladies in waiting.

"Pr-princess Freya!" Astrid exclaimed as she quickly dropped into a curtsy, "My Lady I did not expect you."

"Nor I, you." Freya smiled as she slipped past the shocked visitor out of the door. "Goodnight Astrid. I would say enjoy yourself but I don't want to make myself ill."

"Goodnight My Lady."

**********

Freya strolled leisurely through the stone halls of the castle in no rush to get to her bed, only content to enjoy the serene quiet of her home when no one else was out and about. Without the constant bustle of servants, courtiers, and guards she could hear her light footsteps echoing off the walls and even hear the chirping of insects if she listened closely enough.

All too soon she reached he rooms and upon opening her chamber doors she was only slightly startled to find her blond haired brother waiting for her.

"Thor?" What brings you here so late?" She questions as she closes the door and toes off her slippers.

"Have you come from Loki?" He questions without preamble.

"Yes. I was dimissed as he is entertaining company," She answers with a suggestive lift of her brows.

"Oh. That is a relief to hear, sister." he looks down at her with a slightly saddened expression, "He did not look to be in good spirits at the feast."

"Oh no you don't. What is this downturned face for? Thor look at me." Freya says grabbing ahold of him by the shoulders, "Loki's issues have nothing to do with you."

"So you've said."

"And so I mean." She sighed in sadness. This was not the first time she'd had to calm down and reassure her younger brothers when it seemed that their relationship was teetering on the brink of collapse. "It's more to do with Father than anything you've ever done. Odin has never been the perfect parent. Trust me brother, before you were born he made many mistakes as a father and he's never fully recovered from them. He overcompensates by trying to guarantee that future of Asgard is in hands that won't make those mistakes. Just try to remember that when it seems like his forcing you into the mould of the perfect King and how Loki must feel witnessing it."

"Yet it is so frustrating Freya. I don't ask for the feasts and celebrations." Thor said dejectedly.

"I know. Loki knows as well somewhere deep down. But he can't very well take his up his grievances with the Allfather can he?"

"Then why can't he just talk to me? Why does he run only to you and Mother?"

"Because he's stubborn and prideful, same as you. But he is our brother and we can forgive and tolerate this, can't we?

Thor gazed at her silently, as she searched his eyes imploringly in return. He could see that she grew tired of always having the same conversations with him and with Loki, but that she also needed his reassurance that all would be well between them.

"Yes. But only for so long." Thor shook his head in defeat. After a beat he leans in to give Freya a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well sister." He makes his way toward the door.

"Sleep well." She replies quietly to the already shut door.

As she readies herself for bed she ponders the state of her family. She knows that her brothers will be fine come morning, and that the tensions from today will not come to words or blows. However, she concedes that Thor is right. The peace will be kept only for so long if Odin continues to make his favoritism so abundantly clear. There is only so much she and Frigga can do for Loki.

It was on days like this when she resented being the glue keeping them together. Days when she contemplated if giving up her right to rule as the eldest was the wisest decision. Then she thinks of her father and how the long years and the burden of having the weight of the entire realm on his shoulders had stripped him of his light, and she remembers why it was necessary for her to refuse.

She falls into slumber with a prayer that Odin changes his ways of dealing with his sons, and soon, lest he lose them and send the realm into chaos.

END CHAPTER ONE


	2. CHAPTER TWO: Then & Now

1,900 Years Ago - Asgard

The sounds of merriment drifted up to the highest tower of the Asgardian Royal Palace where the realm's youngest princess prepared for herself for the festival being held in her name. Today was Freya's 21st birthday. The last birthday officially celebrated by their race as it was usually around this time that they ceased to visibly age at a normal rate.

Freya looked out the window down at the parade of people headed towards the palace courtyard in hopes of seeing her. She watched them pass for a few minutes before turning back to the mirror to try to put the finishing touches on her hair. Just as she was growing frustrated with her attempts to braid her un cooperative locks, there was a knock on the sole wooden door into the one.

"Come in, Mother!" She called in response.

Queen Rinda entered the room gracefully her delicate gown flowing elegantly around her long legs. Rinda was hailed as the most beautiful woman in all of Asgard, with a face that was said to be sculpted precisely to be the image of a Queen. Freya agreed with this sentiment wholeheartedly. She didn't think it possible that anyone would ever be born that could rival her mother's beauty.

"About done, my darling?"

"Nearly." Freya said while maneuvering a few sloppy plaits into a twist. Her shoulders dropped in defeat when she saw the disaster she'd created. Her mother's forced smile when she caught her eye in the mirror did nothing to reassure her that she pass it off as presentable. "Or not."

Rinda's laugh brought an embarrassed smile to Freya's face. "Here, let me."

Rinda ran her hands gently through her daughter's hair, undoing the braids and detangling the mess of curls. In no time she is able to style it all into one large and two small interconnecting warrior braids over cascading curls.

"There. You look almost as fierce as your sister now."

"Don't even joke about that, Mother," Freya gasped playfully, "If I were ever half as fierce as Hela I'd frighten myself to death. I'm too young to die; I'm barely a woman."

"You are as of today my sweet." She smiled once more meeting her daughter's gaze in the mirror. "Now up you get! Let me have a look at you."

Freya stood, and after taking note of Rinda swiveling her index finger in a circular motion, she did a twirl that made her deep purple gown float momentarily.

"Well?"

"You look beautiful." Rinda smiled, "Let's get you to the festival. We shouldn't keep our people waiting much longer.

Freya grasped her mother's outstretched hand and they exited the tower.

Her birthday ceremony was among the most memorable days of her life. There was dining, dancing, drinking, and gift giving.

Of all the gifts that were bestowed upon her that day none was more meaningful to Freya than the staff crafted by her mother and maternal grandparents, that had the ability to channel elemental magic. She named her Hilda.

******

1,800 Years Ago - Asgard

"Oof!" Freya hit the ground hard for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She took a few extra seconds to recover her will to continue. This was apparently a few seconds too long.

"Get up, Freya! Do you think an enemy will let you recuperate before striking again?" Hela scolded, one of her twin swords pointed towards her sister's throat as an adversary might.

"We have been at this for hours, Hela. I need a rest."

"There are no rests in battle. Those who are resting are dead."

Freya rolled her eyes. "This isn't a battle. We aren't at war."

Hela laughed sardonically, "We are ALWAYS at war. Up."

Freya pushed herself up off the ground and got back into a fighting position, Hilda her staff at the ready. "Can I use magic now?"

"No. You need to learn proper form. Your abilities should be an asset, not a crutch."

"How is that fair when your weapons are literally made of magic?!"

"I never claimed fairness, sister." Hela smirked, "Someone always has the advantage. Your job is to rise to the challenge and defeat them."

Freya exhaled harshly while accusing, "You get a sick pleasure out of tossing me around like this don't you?"

Hela shrugged one shoulder. "There has to be some reward for training you," She replied as she charged once more.

******

1,670 Years Ago - Asgard

The youngest Asgardian princess stood in a quiet stone hall with her ear pressed against the solid wood door. After taking supper in their private family dining hall her parents had asked for the room. Hela drifted off to her room unconcerned. Freya, however had never known her parents to not discuss anything in front of her, and decided to eavesdrop because anything they had to clear the room for had to be important. Their raised voices revealed the dark deeds they'd kept away from her.

"At the rate you're going we will be known as terrorists throughout the nine realms."

"No need for the dramatics, dear. We are simply uniting fractured nations under the helm of Asgard."

"With brute force. Unwarranted brute force. It's one thing to use your daughter's talents to protect our home and another to use them to invade the homes of others." Rinda bit out harshly.

"Hela has a gift. We'd be fools not to put it to use. Asgard has never been more profitable or more peaceful and we owe that in large part to Hela."

"Just because your acts of aggression are not happening on Asgardian soil that does not mean we are in a time of peace." Rinda stood quickly to leave not able to stand one more moment of her husband's foolishness. "I know you Odin. I know that you believe what you are doing is for the greater good, but Hela grows powerful and soon you won't be able to reign her in."

Rinda storms out of the dining hall narrowly missing her daughter as she darts around the nearest corner. As she listens to her mothers rapidly fading footsteps she considers the information that she just learned that she definitely had no business hearing.

Apparently her father was engaging in violent foreign conflicts, Hela was leading the charge -which explain her increasing trips off world, and her powers were growing. She wasn't sure how this would end but if the situation was making her normally unshakeable mother lose her composure, it was unlikely to end well.

******

Present Day - Asgard

Freya is pulled from her memories as a pair of guards approach her. She sat in the grass in her favorite garden on the palace grounds. She wasn't one to meditate frequently but when she did she preferred not to be interrupted. She gave the guards the most annoyed look she could muster.

"Pardon us, My Lady, but you have been summoned to an emergency council."

"Emergency council? Regarding what?"

"Trouble in the countryside is all we were told."

"I suppose you're meant to escort me"

"Yes, My Lady," the taller of the two nodded.

"Lead the way."

They arrived at the council hall in record time to find the already assembled council of Odin, Frigga, Loki, Thor, and a dozen high ranking noblemen. Freya quickly took her customary seat between Loki and Thor.

The ranking member of the council called everyone to order.

"We are gathered to discuss what appears to be a plague on our countrymen. Two days ago we were notified of a mysterious illness affecting a farming community in the countryside side. Five people were said to be healthy at sunrise and near death by the next. Today we received word that three of the afflicted persons died."

Confused murmurs spread through the room. If Freya was not mistaken she could also sense an undercurrent of fear in the whispers, and for good reason. With their enhanced durability and accelerated healing factor the idea of Asgardians falling victim to a communicable disease was unheard of. Dying from that disease in the span of two days was inconceivable.

"What do we know about this illness?" Odin questioned.

"Nothing at all. The village doctors are at a loss. They have asked for reinforcements from the capital. As of this morning they have two dozen patients and the number only grows." The ranking lord responded.

"Have a team of physicians assembled and dispatch them to the village." Odin ordered. "Eir will lead them and-"

"I will go as well, Father," Freya volunteered. "Eir will need all the help she can get from any trained Physician."

"Very well. Freya will go as well. They leave by midday. Council adjourned."

Despite the fact that her father didn't hesitate to allow her to venture off into a town where she could potentially contract a life-threatening disease, Freya was determined to help put a stop to the sickness before it spread any further. She had her family and her people to think about. Asgardians were not used to being fragile. If news of these deaths managed to get to the capital before a cure was found, it would surely incite a panic.

****************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's chapter 2! I'm trying not to rush the set up but it's hard.
> 
> I want to hurry and bring other people into the story so badly.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thanks!


	3. CHAPTER THREE: The Remedy

CHAPTER THREE: The Remedy

It's been six days since the discovery of a lethal disease slowly spreading through Asgard. Three days since another five lives were claimed by it. A death toll of eight people in any other population would seem insignificant, but among the Asgardians a death toll outside of the battlefield was cause for alarm.

For four days the team of physicians dispatched by Odin attempted to treat afflicted villagers for a malady they had no knowledge of while dozens more Asgardians continued to fall ill.

Eir was able to determine a treatment within a day to curtail the symptoms but it only delayed the inevitable. Even those who'd been treated were seeing their health decline steadily. The doctors were at a loss.

"There is something rapidly depleting the energy stores of everyone affected, and depleting their energy reserves almost simultaneously so that their bodies are unable to fight back before their cells are attacked." Elof, the senior diagnostician, said as he watched their patients physiology warping before their eyes through the technology of the Soul Forge they were able to bring. It was the umpteenth time someone had reiterated this theory with no one any closer to finding a solution.

"Yes that part we've figured out." Eir interjected. "We've moved on to why this came to be and how do we stop it."

"Well we've only ruled out contamination as the cause," Freya supplied, "Every crop grown in this region has been inspected and cleared. Nothing was tainted."

"And we are sure isn't airborne?" Everyone turned their attention to Ylva who spoke. She was the youngest of the assembled and had only recently completed her medical internship.

"That's improbable. The disease spreads and acts fast. If it were airborne one or all of us would be affected by now."

Voices rose once again as everyone attempted to argue their opinion on the origin of the plague until a groan from their patient still beneath the Soul Forge quieted them.

"Think people. We are the brightest medical minds in the realm and yet we can't deduce the root of this?" Eir posed the question to the room at large. They all stared dejectedly back at her. All theories had been offered up at this point. No one knew what else they could suggest.

"What if its a curse?" Attention of the room shifted once again to Ylva. The raven-haired goddess did her best not to shrink under the stares of her colleagues and continued, "What if this isn't a randomly mutated disease but an attack on Asgard? A curse tailored to our physiology to wipe us out."

"Then it would not matter how the disease came to spread..." Freya realized slowly, "Because the key to combating it wouldn't be an antidote but a counter-curse!" She turned to Ylva in awe, "that is a brilliant hypothesis."

The young goddess smiled shyly at the princess's praise.

"Do you agree with this suggestion?" Elof asked Eir.

"Spell casting is not my wheelhouse. Lady Freya, if you please?"

Freya nodded. "Right. It would explain how the infection is able to target energy sources so efficiently as if it has a mind of its own." She paused thinking now in a completely different direction than she had these past few days. "There is a book in the castle library that I've perused once of twice. In it there is mention of Seidr ritual for seeking out what is hidden."

She looked around at the faces of the team that were only half comprehending where she was going with this.

"If I can modify the ritual to reveal what is hidden on a molecular level we can determine how this curse is working and a simple healing spell can be tweaked to attack it and heal the sick."

The occupants of the room did not hide their skepticism. But any counter arguments were cut off when Eir spoke up.

"I can't say that I'm convinced this will work but at this point it is the only plan of action we have." She nodded resolutely. "Will you be able to perform this ritual on your own?"

Freya shook her head. "I will need the help of someone else well versed in magic."

Odin immediately sprang to mind. As the most powerful being she knew, and the god charged with protecting the people of Asgard who better to assist?

"I have to get that book." She announced as she speedily made her way out of the stone hut they were using as a base. "I will be back by dawn tomorrow!"

*****

She made it back to the castle in record time. Without stopping for the guards at the gate, the noblemen she passed, or the castle librarian she made a beeline to the section of the library where the books and scrolls on arcane magical rituals were housed. It took nearly an hour before she was able to find the book she'd recalled, but when she did she could have wept in relief that it was till there. She also picked up a well-worn copy of a book on healing, though she was well versed, for safe measure.

Salvation in hand she quickly tore through the rows of books and exited the library as fast as entered, toward the royal residences wing of the castle. She figured luck must be her side when the very person she was looking for was the first she came across.

Odin was in his study reviewing a third party treaty when his daughter hurriedly burst into the room. He was surprised to see her back from the outer town so soon, but as always did not let it show.

"What news do you have, Freya?"

"We believe its not a normal infectious disease father, but a curse that's been weaponized against us." This gave Odin pause. Of all the things he'd been expecting her to say, this plague being an organized attack on his people was not one of them. "I think that we should be able to defeat it, by using the Seidr ritual for seeking the hidden and the healing spell of evisceration once its revealed. But I'll need your help." She said in one breath.

The allfather waited only a beat before sending his daughter's optimism crashing down.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"What?"

"No, Freya. We will not use this ritual."

"But father we've got to do something-" She started.

"You won't be doing this." Odin said forcefully. "Rituals such as this are unstable and unreliable. It could be intentionally misleading. Not only that the theory is untested. You might bring forth some deep rooted trauma instead of a curse and kill someone."

"People are dying anyway!" Freya shouted. She was frustrated and in disbelief that he was shooting down the only option that could potentially save lives.

"The answer is no!" Odin shouted back. "Find another way." He finished quietly. "And be sure to think the next one through."

He turned back to the treaty in front of him, effectively dismissing her. Freya, at a loss for words, stormed out of the room without looking back.

*****

"You're back early." Ylva observed as a frazzled princess of Asgard came back into the medical hut. Her arms were full with a leather satchel and cloth wrapped bundle.

Freya returned hours ahead of dawn and being the middle of the night Ylva was one of only two people still awake for the overnight shift; Monitoring patients and preparing treatments to administer the next day.

"It took me less time to gather supplies than I anticipated." She grumbled.

"And the reinforcements?"

"We'll be proceeding without them." Freya hoisted the bounty in her arms on the nearest table.

"Is that wise?"

Freya gave Ylva an affronted look. "Yes, Ylva, it is. I am perfectly capable of doing this on my own. I have studied and practiced this craft for over a millennium. We'll be fine."

"I meant no offense My Lady." Ylva replied softly, eyes lowered meekly.

Freya sighed exhaustedly. She didn't mean to hurt the poor girls feelings but she had spent the whole of the evening gathering up the courage to attempt this ritual on her own without the consent of her father. Hearing the girl immediately question her ability was a blow to her fragile confidence that she simply didn't need right now.

"It's alright Ylva." She softened her gaze and her tone in a bid to get the goddess to look back at her. Ylva shyly met her eyes after a moment. "I did try to get assistance but none was forthcoming and we are running out of time."

Ylva nodded in understanding.

"Please do me a favor and gather everyone. We're in for a long night."

*****

END CHAPTER 3

This chapter was getting so long I had to cut it in half! Next chapter coming soon.   
Thanks for reading!


	4. CHAPTER FOUR: The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freya saves Asgard... but at a cost.
> 
> *****
> 
> Yeah so I accidentally abandoned this story, but quarantine has finally given me the strength and vision to write some more.

CHAPTER FOUR: The Fallout

"Are you ready, Princess?"

A nearly imperceptible nod was Freya's answer to Heimdall as he prepared to open the Bifrost.

"Your destination remains unchanged?"

She swallowed thickly. "Yes, and... I know they will ask relentlessly, so please do me a favor and don't tell my brothers where I've gone. They'll have more pressing matters to attend to than being preoccupied trying to find me."

"As you wish your highness."

"Can we drop the formalities, cousin?" She asked, smiling sadly. "After all, I'm not really a princess anymore as of today."

******

_Two Days Ago - Asgard_

After working relentlessly through the long night Freya and the assembled healers were able to use the Seidr ritual discovered by the princess to fight off the curse afflicting their patients. By nightfall it appears the effects are wearing off leaving no trace of the plague that had been.

Unbeknownst to Freya word of exactly how the curse was broken reaches the palace before she returns. She is met immediately at her rooms by guardsmen who inform her that she has been summoned to the throne room by the king. The short trip to the large hall is a blur and before she can wrap her head around the gravity of the situation, she is standing before her father. He sits on his throne, regarding her with a concealed quiet anger.

She stands silently, contemplating how to plead her case. Apparently she is silent too long for the king's liking.

"Have you nothing to say for yourself, daughter?" The Allfather asked grimly, expectant.

"You're welcome." Freya suggests.

Odin exhales through his nose, the smallest show of exasperation. "You disobeyed my direct command. You-"

"Saved thousands." Freya interjected. "I found a way to cure our people. Something you were unwilling to do."

"Your actions were reckless! The consequences could have been fatal!" he roared.

"Could have been, yet they were not." She replied quietly. "Won't you take that into account, father?"

He ignored her question.

"Your insubordinance amounts to treason."

"Treason?" Freya repeated in disbelief shaking her head slightly. "Treason is the highest of offenses, father. Punishable by exile. Are you truly willing to banish your own daughter? Even after...?"

"That is exactly why I must do this. I will not have our history repeating itself." He answered, careful to keep his voice devoid of emotion going forward. "What choice have you left me?"

"You always have a choice! You are King- beholden to no one! You could choose leniency!" Freya was nearing tears now, but her voice had barely reached beyond a normal level. She couldn't find the strength to yell at her father, even in the face of possible exile, yet she could feel that her emotions were close to a boiling point. Her father's callousness compounded with the fact that she hadn't slept in almost two days made for an emotionally raw princess. She knew her cords would soon turn malicious, and that her deepest most closely guarded insecurities would come spilling out because she was never one to be able to hold her tongue when backed into a corner. "But you won't do that will you? Because deep down we both know that you want me gone."

"Tread lightly, Freya. You insinuate that I do not care for you- that I desire to see one of my children forced to leave home and be branded a traitor to the crown?!"

"No. I insinuate that every time you look at me you see her." She took a shaky breath, "And that's why you simply don't anymore. I can't even count how many times you have looked me in the eye and actually seen me and not mother." She paused and waited for a denial that didn't come. "You want me exiled so you can finally be rid of her memory. So you can finally be rid of the life she traded for her own."

"Your words are foolish."

"You aren't denying them."

"Your mother has no part in this. You are facing exile because you defied my decree."

"Your decree was wrong." She interrupted forcefully, teary-eyed no more but resolute. Freya had no doubt that her actions were just, even if they were unsanctioned. "Our people were dying and you refused to act, to even hear me out. Can you not look past the action and see that I did the right thing? Because of my work thousands of Asgardians will continue to draw breath. Is that worth nothing, father?"

"You put the entire realm at risk."

"I took no risk." She refuted. "I had complete confidence in my abilities."

"An act of treason cannot be forgiven, Freya." Odin stated, once again blank faced. His voice betraying no emotion. "Your punishment will be handed down at dusk."

Freya scoffed, yet her earlier tears finally got the best of her as she shook her head disbelievingly.

"As if there's any question what my punishment will be." She looked the King of Asgard in the eyes defiantly as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "I will never forgive you for this, Odin. If I am truly to leave Asgard I will never spare you another thought for the rest of my life. You will NOT be my King. You will NOT be my father..." Freya attempted to stifle a broken sob. "...and eventually you'll mean as little to mean as I clearly do to you."

Silence

Freya gave the Allfather a moment to realize the weight and the accusation of her resolution, before she walked briskly from the throne room.

Odin did not call after her.

She returns to her rooms and takes no visitors.

******

_Sentencing Hearing - Later that evening - Asgard_

Freya found herself once again standing before the king on his throne, only this time the Asgardian court had gathered to witness her punishment. To her right on the steps of the dias stood the king's royal gaurds. To her left on the steps of the dias stood her step-mother, Frigga, and her younger brothers.

Freya hadn't managed to send her siblings the reassuring smile she had attempted to, but she hoped her eyes had conveyed her thoughts when she had been briefly able to meet their gaze. No doubt that Thor and Loki had heard through the gossip in the corridors that her crime of saving their people was being punished as treason. Though, she thought wryly, they may still be unjaded enough to not believe that Odin would hand down the harshest sentence possible. She envied that naiveté in this moment. She wished she could be ignorant to how cold Odin could be to his children if he perceived them as a threat. However, her firsthand experience would not allow it.

Odin stood from his throne, causing a hush to fall over the previously murmuring crowd. Scepter in hand, he addressed Freya directly.

"Freya Odinsdottir you have been found guilty of treason against the crown of Asgard. Do you have any final words to offer before your fate is handed down?"

"I have only one request." The crowd waited with bated breath as Freya made sure her eyes were locked with Odin's as she next spoke, "Please let all record of this hearing show my name as Freya only." The gathered crowd began to murmur again, as some gasps were heard. Freya rose her voice to be heard above them, "Given the circumstances Odinsdottir is no longer fitting. Afterall, I don't believe Odin was ever meant to have daughters." The pointed plurality of her statement went over of the heads of most people present, including her two brothers.

Freya continued, "If a surname is absolutely neccesary for record-keeping purposes... I would prefer Rindasdottir."

In her peripheral she could she Thor looking between herself and Odin is disbelief. Loki only stared at her questioningly. She met neither of their imploring gazes, only Odin's.

"That is my final statement, your majesty."

Freya could see the slightest chink in Odin's unbothered facade when she refused his name, his lineage, before all of the court of Asgard.

"Very well." He answered as the crowd once again began their whispers, but were called to a quiet as he spoke again. "Freya... you are henceforth banished from this realm until a time comes that I see fit to restore your citizenship."

"Father!" Loki and Thor interjected simultaneously. The crowd uproared. Freya did not blink.

"Silence!" Odin roared. An uneasy silence fell over the hall. "You are to report to the Bifrost at dawn. Heimdall will open it to a destination of your choosing." A pregnant pause. "Do not attempt to return."

Freya would not give Odin the satisfaction of a final scathing remark. She gave a slightly mocking curtsy, turned on her heel, and exited the throne room.

She heard her brothers calling after her before beginning to plead with their father. She knew that they would turn up to her rooms eventually, so at the moment she only sought to exit the court of Asgard with her dignity and her head held high.

******

_Present Time - Bifrost -Asgard_

Heimdall looked upon the fallen princess sadly. The two were second cousins through her mother Rinda and truly he had always felt a sense of protectiveness over her, especially after her mother died. The two had spent a lot of quality time together, primarily in this very sanctum that housed the Bifrost, greiving the death of the former queen in the years after she died. Heimdall resented the way the Allfather was treating his daughter, but was duty bound not to object.

"You will always be our princess, Freya."

"Thank you." She replied tearing once again. "But, I think I'll be fine without the title."

She stepped away from her belongings to give him a farewell hug. It felt good to know that there were still a few people who treasured her and held her in high regard. She returned to her things, picked them up and straightened her stance.

"Midgard please, Heimdall."

Heimdall nodded and opened the Bifrost.

After a moment of hesitation Freya lifted her chin and walked through the swirling bright lights without looking back.

******

END OF CHAPTER 4

******

Finally getting her to Earth! Steve will be introduced soon, I promise. 

Please comment and leave kudos if you like it so far. Thanks!


	5. CHAPTER FIVE: The Midgardian

CHAPTER FIVE: The Midgardian

_1,420 Years Ago - Asgard_

"Loki!"

The exhausted princess of Asgard called out for her wayward brother. She'd been searching the palace grounds for him for nearly an hour after he'd failed to return to his tutor after lunch. Her father had assigned her the task of fetching him, as punishment for her sneaking out of the palace to feast with some soldiers a few nights ago. As a grown woman you would think she had the freedom to spend time with whomever she'd like, but as a member of the royal family one of her primary duties was keeping up appearances and that did not include fraternizing with numerous young men.

She sighed thinking about her lack of a social life but returned her thoughts back to the task at hand. She'd had no luck finding Loki in the library, the stables, the royal residence wing, or the kitchens. Her last hope was the gardens, which was a place the young trickster would usually never be found so her expectations were low.

"Loki, where are you?" she whined. "If I don't bring you back father's going to ban me from the library for a fortnight!"

She groaned and stomped her foot petulantly when she stopped at a newly budding rosebush. "Loki, come on, no pranks today please."

She got no response and after five more minutes of searching the gardens she threw her hands up to the sky and decided to just give up and take her punishment.

As she began to walk away her keen ears picked up the tell-tale sound of suppressed laughter. She whipped back around and saw nothing. Nothing except for that young rose bush. A rosebush that appeared to be shaking, even though there was no breeze.

Now she had a theory. She decided to test it.

"Fine, be that way. I hope when you are found father makes you train with Ragnar for the next month."

The rosebush ceased its shaking abruptly. She'd been right in thinking that the notion of weapons training with the most strict and most unforgiving captain would shut down his amusement.

"A-ha!" Freya pointed at the shrub triumphantly. "I know that's you Loki. Change back right now."

Within seconds her mischievous little brother sat where the rosebush once stood. He sat with his knees drawn up under his chin and an adorable pout on his face, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.

"Don't make me go back, Freya." He begged, eyes wide and chin trembling.

Freya tried to strengthen her resolve and not fall victim to his sad act, "Loki, you're nearly ten years old. The puppy dog eyes aren't going to work this time. You need to return to your studies like a responsible prince."

"Maester Bjorn is mean. He always yells at me when I get something wrong." Loki said forehead resting against his knees, he finished quietly, "He's always angry at me."

Damn it all. Oh well, now she'll just have to give him whatever he wants. Unsurprising as she's been a sucker for her brothers since the day Odin first brought her to meet the newborns.

Freya sighed exasperatedly, "Well I guess we aren't returning to the palace then. Scoot over."

He beamed up at her and quickly slid to his left to make room for his sister. She sat heavily, tired from her previous search, and Loki instantly lay his head in her lap as he was wont to do.

"I'll speak with father about getting you a new tutor." She ran her hands through his hair soothingly, "Maybe he'll allow me to take over your tutoring in the meantime."

Loki hummed in response. They sat in contented silence for some time, and Freya was sure the young trickster had fallen asleep until he spoke up suddenly.

"Can you sing the December song, Freya?"

"I don't know, CAN I?"

"WILL you?" He stressed, rolling his eyes.

"Why, so you can fall asleep and nap in the garden?"

"...yes." He answered cheekily smirking slightly.

"Ugh, fine you spoiled little child." She said with no real heat. She quickly cleared her throat and began singing the lullaby her late mother sang to her as a child. It'd become a favorite of both her brothers as well since they were toddlers.

_"Dancing bears, painted wings;  
Things I almost remember.  
And a song someone sings,  
Once upon a December..."_

******

_Harlem - Manhattan, NY - July 4th, 1937_

Freya walked down the busy street with a pep in her step despite the light rain falling onto her scarf covered head and seeping into her walking shoes. She could hear the sounds of lively jazz music and tipsy patrons spilling out of the clubs as she passed by. This was the sound and atmosphere she had come to love since arriving on Midgard in 1935.

Though the culture shock was immense, she easily acclimated to everything Earth had to offer. Everything but the casual racism and sexism, which seemed to permeate every fabric of society. Freya quickly learned that on Midgard she was a black woman, and as such her standing in society was low. At first she was flabbergasted by the notion that she was being discriminated against for having darker skin or being female because these were factors that had little to no relevance on her character on Asgard, but after seeing the looks and hearing the words directed toward her that were definitely racially charged she accepted it as fact.

The former princess however knew when a battle would be hard won, and the battle to combat systemic racism wasn't one she could conquer with her trusty staff Hilda and her iron will. No, this time she discovered it was best to keep her head down in public and quietly join the revolutions happening in secret.

Her saving grace was discovering the phenomenon that was jazz music. Unbeknownst to her she'd walked right into the waning years of the Harlem Renaissance era of culture and arts, and though the boom of the Harlem club days were decidedly in the past there was still enough jazz to go around.

This evening the Asgardian was headed to the Club Social where she worked as a singer for the house band four nights a week. She was lucky to land the gig to supplement the meager income she brought in as a housekeeper for a 3 star hotel in midtown that was known as the DuMont Hotel.

She had her melodic voice, and an infectiously upbeat rendition of 'What A Little Moonlight Can Do' to thank for getting the job.

The Club Social was a little hole in the wall club from the outside but the inside boasted a decently sized stage for the venue size, an impressively well-stocked bar, large dancefloor, and enough tables to accommodate their regular crowds. But her favorite thing about the Club Social was the clientele. Though the employees and the owners were all black, as was the norm for Harlem clubs, the patrons were a mixed crowd. Unlike the demeaning Cotton Club that, though black owned served no black customers and often made a mockery of its staff, the Club Social was one of the few Harlem jazz clubs that was integrated. Whites, blacks, hispanics, asians, and anyone else was welcome and they all gathered to enjoy the music together night after night. And Freya loved to revel in what she thought could be the future of the country. If only a country celebrating their independence that very night could open its eyes and see how sow many of its citizens were still far from free.

Freya could see the jazz joint just up ahead, through the throngs of people occasionally wearing red,white, & blue, and within a few seconds she was entering through the bright red door into the bustling Club Social. The crowd was still relatively light, it being only slightly past 7:30, and the music softly played from an older record as the house band didn't began their evening set until 8:00. Meaning Freya only had about half an hour to freshen up and prepare to hit the stage.

"What happened to getting here by 5, early bird?"

She was stopped as she was passing the bar by her closest friend on Midgard, Virginia "Ginny" Wilson; A gorgeous girl with an even more gorgeous pearly white smile. The two where apartment neighbors in a semi-rundown building only a half a mile away from the club. It was actually Ginny who told Freya about the club's opening for a singer late last year.

"Gin, my goodness, I tried. Let me tell you!" Freya began unbuckling her trench coat, "I had to add an extra two hours to my shift at DuMont because a girl showed up to work hungover - upchucked everywhere! - and I not only had to pick up the slack from her leaving early... I had to clean up her sick."

"Lord, girl you're better than me I would've walked right out."

Freya laughed, "No, no it's fine she's a friend. Plus now she owes me a favor and I intend to collect."

"You have a friend that messy?" Ginny paused her expression turning disbelieving, "It was Kitty wasn't it? Birdie, that Hayes girl is gonna get you into trouble. Mark my words."

"Consider them marked." Freya chuckled again, "But relax, Kitty is harmless."

Ginny mmhmm'd sarcastically.

"She is!" Freya insisted, "I think she said it was some pre-Fourth revelry and she was trying to impress all the boys with her drinking skills. She just forgets those skills are non-existent." Freya quickly checked her watch, the time was 7:40 now. "Walk back with me?"

Ginny nodded and informed Terrance, the barkeep, that she was taking her first 10 minute break.

"All I'm saying is she does a lot of things you couldn't get away with." Ginny said as they walked into the backroom staff used for changing. It had a few clothing hooks, lockers, and a vanity. "I bet she still has her job doesn't she?"

"Yes she does." Freya rolled her eyes fondly, Ginny was always so bold and straightforward.

"We-" She gestured back and forth between the two of them, "-could never."

"I'll give you that." She quickly slipped into her outfit for the evening, a knee length/off-shoulder little black dress. "Will you zip me please?"

Ginny quickly zipped up the figure flattering dress and the two sat idly chit-chatting for the next few minutes while Freya applied her makeup.

"Can you believe that man had the nerve to try to ask me out again? As if I haven't seen him in here with his wife half a dozen times before? The audacity of his ego knows no bounds." The two were discussing Charles Bennett, a retired shoemaker in his 60s who frequented the Club Social and had an obvious sweet spot for Ginny.

Freya laughed as she almost poked herself in the eye with a mascara wand for the second time. "Stop making me laugh or I'll lose an eye, Gin!"

"You could probably pull off an eye patch, Birdie." Unintentionally on Ginny's part, this innocent quip easily brought Odin to mind, something Freya tried not to let happen often. She could feel her smile dimming and quickly tried to change the subject as she started to smear her lips in rouge.

"Mr. Adulterous Bennett aside, any fellas catch your eye in the crowd tonight?"

"Actually," Ginny surreptitiously glanced at the curtain dividing the employee only back room from the club proper, "there is that handsome gentleman I told you about last week. He's back again with a friend, in the back section near the rear exit."

"Ooh," Freya teased, "I never did get to see him last weekend. Is he from the neighborhood?"

"No, despite the holiday it's still a Sunday, so you know the crowd is mainly the looky-loos from the outer boroughs. When I gave him his drink he said he was from Brooklyn."

Freya paused thinking that outside of a small but growing enclave in Bed-Stuy, there wasn't a huge african american population in Brooklyn that she knew of, "Really? What part of Brooklyn?"

Ginny hesitated, "Uh...the white part?"

"Virginia Mae Wilson!" Freya's jaw dropped, faux scandalized. "All your talk about race relations and now you're sweet on a white boy?! Now I've seen everything."

"Shut up, I'm not sweet on him. I can just appreciate a pretty face- no matter the race."

It was Freya's turn to mmhmm sarcastically.

"I don't even know the man!"

"Whatever you say, Gin." Freya said, still clearly teasing and not believing her friend didn't have a crush on this mystery man. Truthfully she didn't care that Ginny's handsome fellow was white after all technically, had her parents been born Midgardian they'd be an interracial couple too. However, teasing the usually unflappable Virginia was always too much fun to pass up.

"You know what, I am so glad my break is over because you, my friend, are insufferable." Ginny said biting back a smile as she made to return to the front.

"Tell your mystery man I said 'Hi'," Freya called after her.

Ginny paused briefly to throw back, "His name is Bucky."

Now alone Freya could only chuckle and shake her head. _**'Bucky, huh? What a name.'**_

******

_"I never planned in my imagination  
A situation so heavenly  
A fairy land where no one else could enter  
And in the center just you and me..."_

As Freya sang her heart out and swayed gently to the music of the combo accompanying her she took a cursory look around the room. Her eyes inevitable fell to the table where Ginny's now former crush sat. She'd caught the crestfallen look flash across Ginny's face when she came to refill his drink order and found this 'Bucky' with his arm draped around a redhead woman who'd recently arrived.

She had to admit Ginny hadn't lied about him being handsome, but Freya had seen better. She noticed, for the first time, a second man sitting at their table. He was a lot scrawnier than Bucky, but they way they appeared to converse spoke to them having a close friendship.

_"My heart beats just like a hammer  
Your arms wound around me tight  
And stars fell on Alabama  
Oh, they fell last night_

_Oh yeah, my arm's around you  
Yeah, the stars were on you last night!"_

Freya sang the final notes of 'Stars Fell On Alabama', and with that the house band concluded their set for the evening. At this point the stage became open to other smaller acts to showcase their artistry, courtesy of the club owners.

Freya decided to step outside the back exit for some fresh air. The clouded smoke-filled room tended to give her headaches from time to time if she didn't clear her lungs. She quickly grabbed her trench coat in case it was still raining.

When she stepped out she had the small pathway between two buildings to herself until, not two minutes later, a drunken patron stumbled out of the club nearly colliding into her.

"Are you alright, sir?" She asked as he righted himself against the wall.

"'m fine, jus a lil' dizzy." He slurred, unseeing eyes attempting to focus on her. "oh 'ey your tha' singer from the club."

"Yes I am."

"You know you're kinda a pretty gal for a negro."

Freya took the racist compliment in stride, "Is there someone I can go and fetch for you sir? To help you home?"

"You can help me home."

"I'm afraid I'm still on the clock, sir." A lie. Though sometimes the club would be busy enough that she'd help wait tables or tend bar after her set, usually on slow Sundays she was free to go home after singing.

"You could be on the cock, if you wanted." He laughed drunkenly at his own lewd joke.

"No thank you." Freya bit out angry, and wishing she could break this idiot's neck without revealing her unEarthly superior strength.

"Oh come on!" He lurched forward suddenly and grabbed her arm, "Who are you to turn me down?"

Just as Freya was contemplating the best way to critically maim this man and make it look like an accident, a strong voice spoke up from their left a few feet away.

"The lady said she isn't interested."

Freya looked over to see the smaller man that had been seated with Ginny's Bucky. He looked unafraid and ready for a fight, but Freya could quickly eyeball the size difference between him and the man accosting her. He didn't stand much of a chance against him.

"What did you say pipsqueak?" Unfortunately he had drawn the man's ire.

"I said she's not interested. So why don't you walk away."

"An' who's gonna make me little guy?"

At this point Bucky's friend put up his fists and cocked his head as if to say 'who do you think?'

The drunken man released her and began to approach her would-be savior threateningly. Freya knew that if she tried to intervene she'd likely be exposing her alienness in ways she would have trouble explaining. So thinking fast as she saw her assailant rear back to throw a punch, she darted back into the club to get help.

She quickly approached the table where Bucky was sat, he was alone for the moment. He regarded her with a curious smile as he saw her coming towards his table.

"Sir, your friend is about to catch a beating outside." Freya said urgently, without preamble.

Bucky's smile fell immediately and he muttered a quick curse.

Freya started back quickly for the rear entrance without waiting for a response, assuming he would follow. The two of them spilled out into the semi-alleyway just in time to see the attacker aiming a kick to the midsection of the man on the ground.

"Hey!" Bucky shouted catching the man's attention. As he turned around Bucky caught his chin in a swift but strong right hook. The man went down like a sack of potatoes, and didn't get back up.

After a quick inspection to be sure he'd no longer be a problem and was out cold, Bucky walked over to his friend.

"Again with the fights, Steve?"

"He was assaulting her, Buck. " The man, Steve, coughed in response, "Was I 'sposed to just stand back and let it happen."

At this Bucky looked back at Freya, "No I guess not. Are you alright miss?"

"Um, yes. Yes I'm fine, thanks. " Freya replied startled at the genuine concern in his voice, "But your friend doesn't look too good."

"I'm fine." Steve said.

"He's fine." Bucky echoed. "I just need to get him home."

"Pardon my boldness, but I think a few of those cuts need tending to before he steps foot on any of those filthy subway cars."

Bucky looked back and took a quick measure of his now standing friend. There were a few open wounds on his hands and neck that might be open to infection if not bandaged up.

"I'm alright-" Stevie started to insist.

"We have a first-aid kit in the back." Freya interrupted. The two men turned back to her as she continued, "I could have him fixed up in no-time."

Bucky looked at her skeptically.

"Do I get a say in this?" Steve piped up.

"No," Bucky replied, "Your decision-making is done for the night."

Steve rolled his eyes in response.

"You sure it's no trouble?" Bucky asked Freya.

"None at all. Consider it my thanks for the two of you coming to my rescue." She answered, "Besides your lady friend has probably wondered where you ran off to by now. You should get back to her."

"Oh f-, Marie!"

Freya and Steve watched as Bucky ran back into Club Social. Freya then beckoned him to follow her back inside. As they passed Terrance, Freya let him know that there was a drunken man passed out in the alley.

She sat him down on the vanity stool once they were in the privacy of the backroom. The noise of the club was pretty much muted so the two sat in silence as she began to clean the wounds near his collar.

"You really didn't need to do this, miss." Steve spoke up for the first time since they'd entered.

"Of course I did, " She smiled, "What kind of damsel would I be if I didn't patch up my knight after defending my honor?"

"I'm no knight, miss."

"Freya."

"I'm sorry?" Steve questioned.

"It's just...you can call me Freya." She gave him another reassuring smile, "And you're Steve?"

"Oh! Yes, mis- I mean Freya. Steve Rogers. Pleasure to meet you." He extended a blood speckled hand. Freya took the offered hand, but instead of shaking it she began to clean it with the damp cloth.

"Oh. Sorry about that." He blushed lightly, realizing too late that he'd offered her a soiled hand.

"Don't worry, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"You patch up a lot of bloodied men after fights? You must have been a nurse I reckon."

"No," Freya denied laughing lightly, "I just have two younger brothers that were mischief magnets growing up."

"They're lucky to have such a caring sister."

"Don't I know it!" Freya agreed. As silence began to fall back over them Freya decided to try keeping their easy conversation going, if for no other reason than to distract Steve from the antiseptic she was about to use on his cuts. "So what brings you the Club Social on this fine evening, Steve?"

"My friend Bucky decided to bring me out to celebrate my birthday. But I would have been just fine staying home and listening to the radio." Steve admitted with a sheepish expression which turned into a wince when Freya poured some alcohol onto the cuts on his knuckles.

"But then you wouldn't have been around here to save me." Freya suggested, some might say flirtatiously.

Steve laughed meeting her eyes.

"Wait a darn minute... did you say today was your birthday? As in the _Fourth of July_?"

Steve only nodded.

"Well I'll have to buy you a birthday drink when we're done here." Freya offered as she grabbed the gauze and began to wrap up his hands, "How old are you turning?"

"19."

"Oh 19! That's a good age. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got into a lot of trouble at that age." Freya laughed.

"It couldn't have been too long ago, though? You don't look too much older than me."

Freya realized her slip-up but easily played it off, "Now Mr. Rogers I know you aren't trying to inquire my age. A lady never tells, you know."

Steve laughed, "Of course not, forgive me."

"Forgiven." She grinned back. She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something about this boy. Maybe it was the way he smiled that put her at ease. There was no malice or lust behind it, and no strained politeness in it, just authentic kindness. Freya couldn't recall being on the receiving end of many smiles like that from white men since being on Midgard these last two years.

Freya was done tending to his scrapes and bruises within ten minutes, but the two continued to talk for half an hour more. She learned he was from Brooklyn, Bucky was his best friend and roommate, and he attended Auburndale Art School. She made him promise that if he ever came back to Club Social he'd bring some of his drawings to show her.

She told Steve about growing up, getting as close to the truth as possible without revealing too much. She told him how she had a sister, Helen, that died young, and two younger brothers, Theo and Lucas she'd named them, back home. She'd also revealed that her mother had died the same time as her sister. Steve, sympathetic, told her his mother had also recently died of tuberculosis. They commiserated over their shared grief briefly before turning back to lighter topics like their favorite songs and radio programmes.

Before they realized it an hour had passed and Bucky was brought back to the employees only section, escorted by Ginny, to fetch his friend.

"Look at you! Good as new!" Bucky greeted, "Thank you again miss...?"

"Freya." She supplied, "And it was no problem. Steve is good company." She smiled at Steve again as he blushed. Bucky glanced between them half suspiciously.

"Steve we'll need to head out soon if we want to catch the last train."

"Sure thing." Steve said standing, he turned to Freya, "Goodnight, Freya. I guess I'll have to take a raincheck on that drink. But thank you again."

"Thank _you_ , for stepping in tonight. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't showed up."

Steve smiled a lingering smile in response and gave her a nod farewell, along with a 'good evening, miss' to Ginny as he followed Bucky out.

Freya ignored the questioning look from Ginny as she watched him leave.

 _ **'What an interesting guy, that Steve Rogers.'**_ She thought, _**'I wonder if I'll ever see him again.'**_

******

Two weeks later Freya is singing the opening lines of 'Embraceable You' when she looks out into the crowd for the evening. She spots Steve, sitting at the same table he and Bucky had occupied that fateful Sunday a fortnight ago. Bucky is once again by his side, a different girl on his arm tonight.

Steve and Freya lock eyes as she continues to sing her song. He holds up something in his hands for her to see. From the stage Freya can see that it appears to be a sketchbook. She gives him a crooked smile in recognition before tearing her gaze away.

_"I love all  
The many charms about you,  
Above all,  
I want my arms about you."_

_**'A man that keeps his promises...'**_ Freya thought, ' _ **Now I've really seen everything.'**_

******

END OF CHAPTER 5

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! Finally we're on Earth and the story can really begin~
> 
> Big thanks to everyone who's read this far, I know this chapter had a lot going on. It was probably the longest I've ever written and I hope it reads well and realistic.
> 
> Please comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed and I will be back soon with a new chapter. Thanks!


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